Precursors for formation of copper selenide, indium selenide, copper indium diselenide, and/or copper indium gallium diselenide films

Abstract

liquid-based precursors for formation of Copper Selenide, Indium Selenide, Copper Indium Diselenide, and/or copper Indium Galium Diselenide include copper-organoselenides, particulate copper selenide suspensions, copper selenide ethylene diamine in liquid solvent, nanoparticulate indium selenide suspensions, and indium selenide ethylene diamine coordination compounds in solvent. These liquid-based precursors can be deposited in liquid form onto substrates and treated by rapid thermal processing to form crystalline copper selenide and indium selenide films.

Description

CONTRACTUAL ORIGIN

The United States Government has rights in this invention under Contract No. DE-AC36-99GO10337 between the United States Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a Division of the Midwest Research Institute.

BACKGROUND

Group IB-IIIA-VIA compounds, especially copper indium diselenide (CIS) and copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) compounds, are promising and much studied semiconductor materials for a number of thin-film semiconductor applications, not the least of which include absorber layers for solar cells, because the elements themselves are common and fairly inexpensive, and significant solar to electrical energy conversion efficiencies with CIS and CIGS absorber layers have been demonstrated. However, techniques for inexpensive production of consistently high quality Group IB-IIIA-VIA thin film semiconductor compounds needed for large scale commercial acceptance and applications have been elusive.

In general, the stoichiometry of Group IB-IIIA-VIA compounds that have exhibited the highest solar to electrical energy conversion efficiencies have been slightly poor, or at least not rich, in the Group IB component in relation to the Group IIIA component(s), which is sometimes called the I/III ratio. For example, in Group IB-IIIA-VIA compounds in which the Group IB component is copper, I/III ratios in a range of about 0.8 to 1.0 have demonstrated the best solar to electrical conversion efficiencies. When the I/III ratio exceeds 1.0, the Group IB-III-VIA compounds become unstable and Group IB-VIA phases tend to form, which deteriorates the electrical characteristics of the material and adversely affects the solar energy conversion efficiency. Also, in general, the larger the crystal grains of the Group IB-IIIA-VIA compounds, the better the electrical characteristics, which are directly related to the solar to electrical energy conversion efficiencies.

Unfortunately, such compositional control and uniformity with large grain polycrystalline film formation of Group IB-IIIA-VIA compounds over large substrate surface areas has not been easy to achieve. Most current CIS and CIGS production methods involve some kind of vacuum deposition technology, for example, physical vapor deposition, which typically has high capital costs as well as high production costs. Therefore, there has been a long-time need for less expensive alternatives for producing consistent, high quality, crystalline or polycrystalline thin films of Group IB-IIIA-VIA compounds. In this regard, various combinations of thin films of CuSe, Cu₂Se, InSe, and In₂Se₃ are increasingly being studied for use as precursors to achieve the production of large-grained CuInSe₂ films for solar cells. An emerging goal is to develop less costly, reproducible processes for making consistent, large-area, high quality CIS and/or CIGS absorber layers that do not involve vacuum deposition technologies. In this quest, thin films of CuSe, Cu₂Se, InSe, and In₂Se₃ that are not made with vacuum deposition technologies would be employed as precursors for the production of CIS and CIGS films for solar cells. These films are also being examined for use in thin film tandem cells and as channel layers in high performance transistors.

The foregoing examples and descriptions of the related art are intended to be generally illustrative and not exclusive. Other examples and limitations of the related an are known to persons skilled in the art or will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Example embodiments or features of example embodiments are illustrated in referenced figures of the drawings. It is intended that the embodiments and characteristics disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative and not exclusive or limiting. Therefore, in the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of example Cu₂Se films obtained from [n-BuSeCu]_x (top trace) and Cu₂Se_x(en)_y (bottom trace) after annealing at 350° C. in argon;

FIG. 2 shows an XRD scan of an example nanoparticle In₂Se₃ precursor annealed in a sealed tube at 350° C.;

FIG. 3 shows an XRD scan of an example In₂Se₃ nanoparticle film annealed at 350° C. in flowing argon showing conversion to InSe; and

FIG. 4 shows XRD patterns for example indium selenide films made from the In₂Se₄(enH_x)(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x precursor annealed at 300° C. and 500° C. showing conversion to a crystalline In—Se phase at the lower temperature and to crystalline In₂Se₃ at the higher temperature.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE IMPLEMENTATIONS

As explained above, thin films of CuSe, Cu₂Se, InSe, and In₂Se₃ are being studied for use as precursors for production of CIS and CIGS films without having to use vacuum deposition technologies. Also, it is advantageous to develop liquid-based precursors for Cu—Se, In—Se, CIS, and/or CIGS films for a number of reasons, including, but not limited to, the ease and variety of deposition techniques that can be used to deposit the precursor materials on substrates or other surfaces. Such deposition techniques may include, for example, but not for limitation, drop coating, dip coating, spin coating, spraying, brushing, air brushing, ink jet application, stamping, printing, pouring, wiping, smearing, or other methods of applying a liquid film on a surface. Some of the precursors described herein are soluble in solvents and, when dissolved, are in solutions, whereas others are mixtures or suspensions of the precursors in liquids. Therefore, for convenience and to avoid unduly restrictive constructions of terms and descriptions used herein, any precursor in a liquid solution, mixture, suspension, paste, or other form that can be handled and deposited on a surface with a technique or equipment that is usable for liquids, including, but not limited to, those mentioned above, may be referred to interchangeably as liquid, liquid-based, solution, or solution-based precursor. Also, the terms deposited, dispersed, spread, applied, and other terms may be used interchangeably when referring to the placement of the liquids comprising one or more of the precursors on a substrate or other surface on which In—Se, Cu—Se, CIS, and/or CIGS is to be formed front the precursor, and the use of any one or more of such terms should not be construed as precluding or as not including such placement of the liquids in a manner that could be described by another one of such terms.

Example liquid-based or solution-based precursors described below for depositions of such CuSe, Cu₂Se, InSe, In₂Se₃, CIS, or CIGS films at atmospheric pressure are particularly desirable because of their simplicity, stability in air, and low cost. Examples of die resulting Cu—Se films and In—Se films have been shown to have good crystallinity, and such films or precursors for such films can be used as precursors for the production of CIS and CIGS films for solar cells and other applications. The Cu—Se notation used herein is generally used to refer genetically to any compound of copper and selenium (for example CuSe, Cu₂Se, and others) and the In—Se notation used herein is generally used to refer genetically to any compound of indium and selenium (for example InSe, In₂Se₃ and others). Also, CIS and CIGS can be represented by the general chemical formula of CuIn_1-xGa_xSe₂, where 0≦x≦1, or more simply as Cu(In,Ga)Se₂. Any or all of these abbreviations, chemical notations, and chemical formulae conventions may be used in this description. Also, when this description mentions copper-indium-selenide, copper indium diselenide, CIS, or CuInSe₂ in discussing applications for the example precursors described herein, persons skilled in the art will recognize that such materials are also applicable to production of other Cu(In_xGa)Se₂ compounds and are not intended to be limited to CuInSe₂.

The first example liquid-based Cu₂Se precursor described herein is prepared as shown, for example, by the following chemical equation:

##STR00001##
where Se is elemental selenium and n-BuLi is n-butyl lithium, which is a very reactive organolithium reagent that reacts with the selenium to form lithium n-butyl selenide (n-BuSeLi). The copper is introduced as a copper(I) salt, such as the copper acetonitrile Cu(CH₃CN)⁴⁺ in equation (1), which reacts with the n-butyl selenide to form copper n-butyl selenide [n-BuSeCu]_x, where the subscripted x is used to denote that the [n-BuSeCu] units associate to form oligomers. The copper n-butyl selenide precipitates from the reaction mixture and is formulated as an oligomer of [n-BuSeCu] monomers. The [n-BuSeCu]_x is then suspended in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), which is a solvent, and ethanolamine, which functions as a dispersant for the [n-BuSeCu]_x particles. This liquid suspension of the [n-BuSeCu]_x is stable at room temperature and can be stored for long periods of time without deterioration, and it is stable enough to be deposited on a substrate or other surface by one or more of the techniques listed above, so it is considered to be a liquid-based precursor in this description.

To test the [n-BuSeCu]_x suspension for use in forming films of Cu2Se, it was drop-coated onto glass substrates and annealed at 350° C. in an argon atmosphere. The [n-BuSeCu]_x precursor decomposed, and the organic components vaporized leaving a film of crystalline Cu₂Se, as shown by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) scan in FIG. 1. Therefore, this resulting crystalline Cu₂Se film is a good candidate precursor for forming CIS and/or CIGS semiconductor materials for solar cell absorber layers or for other uses, and the copper n-butyl selenide suspension described above is a good liquid-based precursor for making the crystalline Cu₂Se film.

EXAMPLE I

A suspension of Se (0.79 g, 0.01 mole) in THF (50 mL) under nitrogen was treated with n-butyl lithium solution (4.0 mL of 2.5 M solution in hexanes, 0.01 mole). After stirring for 15 minutes, the Se dissolved completely to give a yellow solution of lithium n-butyl selenide. The lithium n-butyl selenide solution was then added to a solution of [Cu(CH₃CN)₄](PF₆) (3.73 g, 0.01 mole) in CH₃CN (50 mL), and a dark brown precipitate formed. This precipitated [n-BuSeCu]_x was separated from the solution by centrifugation, washed with fresh THF (40 mL) and dried in a stream of N₂. A suspension of 0.10 g of this material in 5 mL DMSO plus 0.5 mL ethanolamine or 3.0 mL ethylene diamine was used for the depositions described. The suspension in DMSO/ethanolamine was drop coated onto a microscope slide and the resulting film was annealed at 350° C. in Ar to yield the crystalline Cu₂Se film characterized in FIG. 1.

While the example described above has been shown to work well for making the copper n-butyl selenide precursor for the crystalline Cu₂Se films, persons skilled in the art will recognize, after becoming familiar with the example, that other reagents with similar characteristics can be substituted for those used in the examples to get similar, if not even better, results. For example, there are a number of organolithium reagents that are reactive enough to react with the elemental selenium to provide alkyl or aryl selenium reagents to react with the copper salt, such as, but not limited to, t-butyl lithium, sec-butyl lithium, methyl lithium, phenyl lithium, tolyl lithium, xylyl lithium, and 2,6-diisopropylphenyl lithium. Also, the copper salt can be another organic copper salt, for example, copper(I) methoxide (CuOCH₃), or it can be an inorganic copper salt, for example, a copper halide, such as copper iodide (CuI), copper bromide, copper chloride, or any other copper(I) salt that reacts with the organoselenide reagents to precipitate copper-organoselenide monomers or oligomers that can be suspended and dispersed in a liquid for drop, spin, spray, or other deposition on a substrate, which upon heating to a temperature sufficient to decompose the copper-organoselenide precursor and drive off the organic residues, forms a crystalline Cu₂Se film. Also, instead of DMSO, other solvents that can be used to disperse the copper-organoselenide precursor in the general method described above, for example, ethylene diamine. Also, ethanolamine, other secondary and tertiary amines can be used as complexing agents in order to form a liquid-based Cu₂Se precursor that can be processed as described above to form a crystalline Cu₂Se film.

EXAMPLE II

A particulate Cu₂Se precursor was also prepared. An aqueous solution of NaHSe was prepared by the reaction of Se (0.20 g, 0.0025 mole) in 10 mL H₂O with NaBH₄ (0.19 g, 0.005 mole) at 0° C. for 1 h. This solution was then added slowly over a period of 1 h to a solution of [Cu(CH₃CN)₄](PF₆) (1.86 g, 0.005 mole) in CH₃CN (50 mL) at room temperature. The resulting black precipitate was collected by filtration, washed with water (50 mL) and CH₃CN (50 mL) and dried in a stream of N₂. This material was suspended in methanol, drop coated onto a microscope slide, and the resulting film was annealed at 350° C. in Ar to yield a crystalline Cu₂Se film.

Another liquid or solution-based precursor for crystalline Cu₂Se films can be obtained by reacting commercial Cu₂Se powder with elemental selenium and ethylene diamine (sometimes called 1,2-diaminoethane or abbreviated “en”) as shown by the equation:
Cu₂Se+Se+H₂N—(CH₂)₂—NH₂→Cu₂Se_x(en)_y  (2)
where Cu₂Se is the commercial copper selenide powder, Se is the elemental selenium, the H₂N—(CH₂)₂—NH₂ is the ethylene diamine, and Cu₂Se_x(en)_y is the copper selenide ethylene diamine compound, sometimes referred to as the Cu₂Se_x-ethylene diamine coordination compound or just Cu₂Se_x-ethylene diamine for convenience. The Cu₂Se_x(en)_y forms a red solution in ethylene diamine. In the Cu₂Se_x(en)_y produced according to equation (2), 1≦x≦12 and y≧1. The exact number of ethylene diamine molecules in the Cu₂Se_x-ethylene diamine coordination compound is not significant for the application of the Cu₂Se_x-ethylene diamine coordination compound as a liquid or solution-based precursor for crystalline Cu₂Se as described herein, because any number of en's in the complex in this manner will be soluble at least in ethylene diamine. In an example analysis of Cu₂Se_x(en)_y produced as described herein, x appeared to be 8, and y appeared to be 2. When the red solution of Cu₂Se_x(en)_y in ethylene diamine produced from the synthesis in equation (2) was drop coated onto a glass substrate and annealed in argon at 350° C., the organic ligands were vaporized and driven out, Se was lost, and crystalline Cu₂Se was formed in a crystalline thin film on the substrate, as shown by the X-ray diffraction pattern in FIG. 1. Therefore, the ethylene diamine solution of Cu₂Se_x(en)_y is a viable liquid precursor for forming crystalline Cu₂Se, which in turn can be used as a precursor for forming CIS and/or CIGS semiconductor materials. This soluble red Cu₂Se_x(en)_y precursor must be formed and stored under nitrogen or other oxygen-free condition to prevent oxidation of the copper, and it can be stored at room temperature. It can be deposited in air and survives deposition in air at 200° C. with no evidence of oxidation. It can also be diluted to any concentration desired for drop coating, dip coating, spin coating, spraying, ink jet application, or any other method of applying a uniform liquid film on a surface.

EXAMPLE III

A mixture of Cu₂Se (2.06 g, 0.01 mole), Se (0.80 g, 0.01 mole), and ethylene diamine (30 mL) was sonicated under N₂in a 600 W KONTES Sonicator for 6 hours to give a red solution comprising the Cu₂Se_x(en)_y according to equation (2) as described above. This solution comprising the copper selenide ethylene diamine compound was filtered under N₂to remove a small amount of solid and then used directly for depositions. The solution was drop coated onto a microscope slide, and the resulting film was annealed at 350° C. in Ar to yield the crystalline Cu₂Se film characterized in FIG. 1.

While the example described above has been shown to work well for the Cu₂Se_x(en)_y precursor for making Cu₂Se films, persons skilled in the art will recognize, after becoming familiar with the example, that other reagents with similar characteristics can be substituted for the ethylene diamine used in the examples to get similar, if not even better, results. For example, the ethylene diamine is a di-functional basic ligand that forms a scaffold, which supports Cu₂Se_x units in the 3-dimensional structure. Other such di-functional diamine ligands with similar characteristics can be used for this purpose instead of ethylene diamine, such as 1,3-diaminopropane, or 1,2-diaminobenzene. Also, a number of solvents other than ethylene diamine, such as, for example, DMSO or dimethyl formamide (DMF), can be used to dissolve the Cu₂Se_x(en)_y precursor for application of the precursor to a substrate. Essentially, any solvent that can dissolve the Cu₂Se_x(en)_y precursor can be used.

As mentioned above, In₂Se₃ can also be used as one of the precursors for making CIS and/or CIGS semiconductor materials. An example precursor for making such In₂Se₃ precursor material is a nanoparticle In₂Se₃ material, denoted nano-In₂Se₃, which can be made as shown by the following equation:

##STR00002##
Essentially, indium iodide reacts with sodium selenide in methanol to form In₂Se₃ nanoparticles, i.e., particles less than 100 nanometers (nm) in diameter, which is also sometimes called nano-In₂Se₃ for convenience. When the NaI was washed away and these particles were annealed at 350° C. in a closed tube, crystalline In₂Se₃ was obtained, as shown by the X-ray diffraction scan in FIG. 2. This result demonstrates that the nanoparticle In₂Se₃ precursor can be processed to form large-grained crystalline material under mild conditions.

On the other hand, when the nano-In₂Se₃ from equation (3) was deposited from a methanol slurry on glass, for example by drop coating the slurry onto a glass slide, and then annealed overnight (approximately twelve hours) at 350° C. in flowing argon, some Se was lost and a crystalline film of InSe was formed, as shown in FIG. 3. Crystalline InSe is a stoichiometric compound for which a standard XRD pattern is well known. FIG. 3 shows both the well-known standard XRD pattern for crystalline InSe and the XRD pattern for the material produced with this longer anneal time, which match and thereby show that the material was crystalline InSe.

However, when an identical precursor film was rapidly annealed at either 350° C. or 500° C. for five minutes, no selenium was lost and γ-In₂Se₃ was produced. Therefore, selenium loss can be mitigated by rapid thermal processing of the precursor films to produce γ-In₂Se₃ films starting from the nano-In₂Se₃ precursor instead of the crystalline InSe described above. The γ (gamma) indicates the crystalline structure of the In₂Se₃ compound, as is understood by persons skilled in the art. Rapid thermal processing (RTP) is a way of annealing samples by heating rapidly to a desired temperature, maintaining that temperature for a short time, and then cooling, as is understood by persons skilled in the art. In this case, for example, but not for limitation, an optical RTP furnace was used. This furnace uses intense light coupled to a silicon or carbon susceptor to heat the sample, and it is capable of heating a sample from room temperature to 500° C. in about twenty seconds. The samples are typically maintained at the desired temperature for about two to eight minutes, although crystalline In₂Se₃ can be produced from these precursors by annealing in this manner for as much as fifteen minutes. When the light in the furnace is turned off, the sample also cools quickly because of the low thermal mass of the susceptor.

As mentioned above, either InSe or In₂Se₃ can also be used as a precursor for the formation of CIS and/or CIGS. Other forms of In—Se with the ratio of In to Se between that of InSe and In₂Se₃ can also be used as precursors for CIS and/or CIGS, and the nano-In₂Se₃ front equation (3) is a useful precursor for any of such crystalline In—Se compounds or films. In general, annealing the nano-In₂Se₃ from the slurry by RTP at any temperature in the range of 300 to 650° C. for a time in a range of two to fifteen minutes can be used to produce γ-In₂Se₃, whereas annealing in that temperature range for more than fifteen minutes will result in some loss of Se and the production of InSe. Example nano-In₂Se₃ precursors prepared according to equation (3), are explained in Examples IV and V below.

EXAMPLE IV

A solution of InI₃ (0.99 g, 0.002 mole) in methanol (150 mL) was cooled to −80° C., and a solution of Na₃Se (0.38 g, 0.003 mole) in methanol (50 mL) was added rapidly. The product precipitated immediately to form a yellow suspension comprising In₂Se₃. The yellow In₂Se₃ product was collected by centrifugation and washed with three 50 mL portions of fresh methanol. As the NaI was removed, the nano-In₂Se₃ dispersed better in methanol, and not all the product resettled after the third wash. The material was not dried, but it was re-suspended in 30 mL of methanol, and this suspension was used for In—Se depositions.

Equation (3) is a precipitation reaction in which indium(III) iodide (InI₃) reacts with sodium selenide (Na₂Se) to form the desired indium selenide in nanoparticulate form and sodium iodide (NaI) as a byproduct. Methanol acts as the solvent for this reaction, and it was chosen because NaI remains soluble in methanol after the nano-In₂Se₃ precipitates, and it can be used to completely remove NaI from the product. This nano-In₂Se₃ precursor can be prepared easily in large amounts and stored for future use without noticeable degradation.

EXAMPLE V

In another example, selenium (0.79 g, 0.01 mole) was suspended in degassed water, cooled in an ice bath and treated with solid NaBH₄ (0.76 g, 0.02 mole) in small portions. After stirring for one hour, a clear solution of NaHSe formed. This solution was added to a solution of InI₃ (1.48 g, 0.0066 mole) in methanol (60 mL) and the yellow product comprising the nano-In₂Se₃ precipitated immediately. This precipitate was collected and washed as in Example IV above, and it was re-suspended for deposition.

Another soluble precursor for crystalline In—Se films, which may be characterized by the general formula In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_y and called In₂Se₄-ethylene diamine coordination compound, In₂Se₄-ethylene diamine complex, or just In₂Se₄-ethylene diamine for convenience, was prepared by reaction of commercial In₂Se₃, elemental Se, hydrazine, and ethylene diamine. The clear yellow solution that results from this reaction can be applied in liquid form onto glass or other suitable substrates by drop coating, dip coating, spin coating, spray, ink jet, or any other liquid application apparatus or method, which is a significant advantage. Decomposition of this precursor and film crystallization were studied using both conventional oven heating and rapid thermal processing (RTP). The In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x precursor solution was sprayed onto Mo-coated glass substrates and annealed by RTP at two different temperatures. The annealed films were characterized by XRD and the results are shown in FIG. 4. The lower trace in FIG. 4 shows the XRD pattern obtained for a sprayed film annealed at 300° C. for five minutes. It shows that a crystalline In—Se phase was produced. The upper trace in FIG. 4 shows the XRD pattern obtained from a similar sprayed In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x precursor film annealed at 500° C. for five minutes. A crystalline γ-In₂Se₃ film was obtained under these conditions. Therefore, this In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x is a versatile precursor that can be used to produce films of crystalline In—Se when annealed at 300-350° C., or to produce films of γ-In₂Se₃ when annealed at 400-500° C. Even higher annealing temperatures, e.g., 500 to 650° C., can be used to produce crystalline γ-In₂Se₃ from the In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x precursor if substrates that, can withstand those temperatures are used. Also, longer anneal time, i.e., longer than fifteen minutes, for example, but not for limitation, in a conventional oven or furnace, will result in loss of Se and thereby production of some form of crystalline In—Se other than γ-In₂Se₃.

Specific examples of the use of this In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x precursor for the preparation of crystalline In—Se and crystalline In₂Se₃ film by RTP are described below.

EXAMPLE VI

A mixture of In₂Se₃ (0.94 g. 0.002 mole), Se (0.16 g, 0.002 mole), ethylene diamine (5 mL) and anhydrous hydrazine (5 mL) was stirred for three days at room temperature. During this time, the solids dissolved and a clear yellow solution comprising the In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x precursor, i.e., In₂Se₄-ethylene diamine, was formed. This solution was then used directly for depositions of the In—Se films. When this In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x precursor solution was sprayed on Mo-glass substrates and then annealed at 300° C. for five minutes in argon, a crystalline In—Se film resulted. The XRD pattern presented in the lower trace in FIG. 4 indicates that this material is crystalline In—Se, as explained above. When a similar precursor film was annealed at 500° C. for five minutes in argon, the result was a crystalline γ-In₂Se₃ film, as shown by the upper trace in FIG. 4. The concentration of the In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x precursor was varied by using the same amounts of In₂Se₃ and Se with 7.5 and 10 mL portions of both ethylene diamine and hydrazine in subsequent preparations. The In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x precursor was also prepared in the same way using equal volumes of hydrazine hydrate and ethylene diamine with similar results.

Because the solution prepared for the reaction described above for producing the In₂Se₄-ethylene diamine, i.e., In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x, precursor contains both ethylene diamine (en) and hydrazine (N₂H₄), and because both the en and N₂H₄ have comparable basicities, there are a number of specific formulation possibilities, one or more of which may be present in the solution. The possibilities all have an In₂Se₄^2- core, but the ligands may include an all-en formula and/or mixed en/N₂H₄structures, for example, In₂Se₄(enH)₂(en)_y, In₂Se₄(enH)(N₂H₅)(en)_y, In₂Se₄(N₂H₅)₂(en)_y, In₂Se₄(enH)₂(en)_y(N₂H₄)₂, In₂Se₄(enH)(N₂H₅)(en)_y(N₂H₄)₂, and/or In₂Se₄(N₂H₅)₂(en)_y(N₂H₄)₂. If more than one of these possibilities are present in the solution, they may be present in various proportions in equilibrium with each other. The enH is protonated en and serves the same purpose in the formulations as the protonated hydrazine, N₂H₅, which is to compensate the charge on the In₂Se₄^2- core. Therefore, the enH and the N₂H₅ are interchangeable and can replace each other, as illustrated in the possible formulations listed above, and, in the general formula. 0≦x≦2.

Some amount of ethylene diamine (en) is among the ligands of the possible formulations listed above, so y is always at least one, and H can be any number above one that forms in the reaction. As mentioned above, it is possible for the In₂Se₄-ethylene diamine complex produced by this reaction to contain only en ligands, so z can be either zero or any number above zero that forms in the reaction. Except for y≧1 and z≧0, as explained above, the values of y and z are not critical and can be any amounts that form in the reaction of In₂Se₃, Se, hydrazine, and ethylene diamine, because any amounts of en and N₂H₄ that get incorporated into the ligands will be soluble with the In₂Se₄²⁻ core at least in ethylene diamine or in ethylene diamine/hydrazine mixtures, thus useable for making the In—Se and In₂Se₃ crystalline films, as described above.

As explained above, the precursor, In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x, was made and used for depositing thin films of crystalline In—Se and In₂Se₃ with an ethylene diamine/hydrazine solution, so there was and is no need to isolate any particular In₂Se₄-ethylene diamine complex products from the solution or to determine specific numbers of (en) and N₂H₄ in a specific formulation or product of the reaction of In₂Se₃, Se, hydrazine, and ethylene diamine. However, such isolation can be done, if desired, and such isolated In₂Se₄-ethylene diamine complex products are re-soluble in ethylene diamine and/or ethylene diamine/hydrazine mixtures, and it is expected that they are also soluble in other solvents, such as, for example, DMSO.

While a number of example aspects, implementations, and embodiments have been discussed above, those of skill in the art will recognize certain modifications, permutations, additions, variations, and subcombinations thereof. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims hereafter introduced are interpreted to include all such modifications, permutations, additions, and subcombinations as are within their true spirit and scope. The words “comprise,” “comprises,” “comprising,” “comprised,” “compose,” “composing,” “composed,” “have,” “having,” “include,” “including,” and “includes” when used in this specification and in the following claims are intended to specify the presence of stated features or steps, but they do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, or groups thereof.

Claims

1. A method of forming a crystalline cu₂Se film, comprising:

dissolving a cu₂Se_x-diamine coordination compound in a liquid solvent to form a liquid cu₂Se_x-diamine solution;

depositing the cu₂Se_x-diamine solution on a substrate, where 1≦x≦12; and

heating the cu₂Se_x-diamine solution on the substrate to vaporize the solvent and to decompose the cu₂Se_x-diamine coordination compound so that the crystalline cu₂Se film forms on the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1, including synthesizing the cu₂Se_x-diamine coordination compound by reacting cu₂Se and Se with ethylene diamine.

3. The method of claim 1, including synthesizing the cu₂Se_x-diamine coordination compound by reacting cu₂Se and Se with 1,3-diaminopropane.

4. The method of claim 1, including synthesizing the cu₂Se_x-diamine coordination compound by reacting cu₂Se and Se with 1,2-diaminobenzene.

5. The method of claim 1, including dissolving the cu₂Se_x-diamine coordination compound in DMSO.

6. The method of claim 1, including dissolving the cu₂Se_x-diamine coordination compound in ethylene diamine.

7. The method of claim 1, including heating the cu₂Se_x-diamine solution on the substrate to a temperature in a range of 150 to 650° C. to also vaporize ligands decomposed from the cu₂Se_x and volatile products including Se and/or H₂Se so that the crystalline cu₂Se film forms on the substrate and to anneal the crystalline C₂Se on the substrate.

8. The method of claim 7, including heating the C₂S_x-diamine solution on the substrate to a temperature in a range of 350 to 500° C. to vaporize the ligands and volatile products and to anneal the crystalline cu₂Se on the substrate.

9. A method of synthesizing a soluble Cu—Se precursor for cis and/or CIGS film, comprising reacting cu₂Se and Se with a di-functional diamine to produce soluble cu₂Se_x-diamine coordination compound.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the di-functional diamine comprises ethylene diamine to produce soluble cu₂Se_x(en)_y.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the di-functional diamine comprises 1,3-diaminopropane.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the di-functional diamine comprises 1,2-diaminobenzene.

13. A method of forming a crystalline In—Se film, comprising:

dissolving In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x in a liquid solvent to form a liquid In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x solution, where 0≦x≦2, y≧1, and z≧0;

depositing the liquid In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x solution on a substrate; and

heating the In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x on the substrate to vaporize the solvent and to decompose the In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x and vaporize the ligands and volatile products including Se and/or H₂Se so that the crystalline In—Se film forms on the substrate.

14. The method of claim 13, including dissolving the In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x in a mixture of DMSO and ethanol amine.

15. The method of claim 13, including dissolving the In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x in a mixture of hydrazine and ethylene diamine.

16. The method of claim 13, including heating the In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x to a temperature in a range of 300 to 650° C. to vaporize the ligands and volatile products and to anneal the In—Se on the substrate to produce crystalline In—Se film.

17. The method of claim 13, including healing the In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x to a temperature in a range of 300 to 400° C. for a time in a range of two to fifteen minutes to vaporize the ligands and volatile products and to anneal the In—Se on the substrate to produce crystalline In—Se film.

18. The method of claim 13, including heating the In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x to a temperature in a range of 300 to 400° C. for more than fifteen minutes to vaporize the ligands and volatile products and to anneal the In—Se on the substrate to produce crystalline In—Se film.

19. The method of claim 13, including heating the In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x to a temperature in a range of 400 to 550° C. for a time in a range of two to fifteen minutes to vaporize the ligands and volatile products and to anneal the In—Se on the substrate to produce γ-In₂Se₃ film.

20. A precursor for cis and/or CIGS film comprising soluble In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x where 0≦x≦2, y≧1, and z≧0.

21. A method of forming a crystalline cu₂Se film, comprising:

synthesizing a copper-organoselenide precursor;

depositing the precursor on a substrate; and

heating the precursor to decompose the precursor and so that crystalline cu₂Se film forms on the substrate.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the copper-organoselenide precursor includes a copper alkyl selenide.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the copper-organoselenide precursor includes a copper aryl selenide.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the copper-organoselenide includes copper n-butyl selenide.

25. The method of claim 24, including synthesizing the copper n-butyl selenide by reacting n-butyl selenide with a copper(I) salt.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the copper(I) salt includes copper(I) coordination complexes.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the copper(I) coordination complex includes [cu(CH₃CN)₄](PF₆).

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the copper(I) salt includes a copper halide.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the copper halide includes copper iodide.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the copper halide includes copper bromide.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the copper halide includes copper chloride.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein the copper(I) salt includes copper(I) methoxide.

33. The method of claim 24, including synthesizing the n-butyl selenide by reacting elemental selenium with n-butyl lithium.

34. The method of claim 21, including synthesizing the copper-organoselenide by reacting an organoselenide with a copper(I) salt.

35. The method of claim 21, including synthesizing the copper-organoselenide by reacting an organometallic reagent with elemental selenium.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the organometallic reagent includes an organolithium reagent.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the organolithium reagent includes an alkylithium reagent.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the alkylithium reagent includes n-butyl lithium.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the alkylithium reagent includes t-butyl lithium.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the alkylithium reagent includes sec-butyl lithium.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein the alkylithium reagent includes methyl lithium.

42. The method of claim 37, wherein the alkylithium reagent includes phenyl lithium.

43. The method of claim 37, wherein the alkylithium reagent includes tolyl lithium.

44. The method of claim 37, wherein the alkylithium reagent includes xylyl lithium.

45. The method of claim 37, wherein the alkylithium reagent includes 2,6-diisopropylphenyl lithium.

46. The method of claim 24, including suspending the copper n-butyl selenide in a liquid for dispersing the copper n-butyl selenide on the substrate.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the liquid is a mixture that includes a solvent and a dispersant.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the solvent includes DMSO.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein the solvent includes ethylene diamine.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein the dispersant includes ethanolamine.

51. A precursor for producing cu₂Se comprising a copper-organoselenide in a liquid solution.

52. The precursor of claim 51, wherein the copper-organoselenide includes a copper alkyl selenide.

53. The precursor of claim 52, wherein the copper alkyl selenide includes copper n-butyl selenide.

54. The precursor of claim 51, wherein the copper-organoselenide includes a copper aryl selenide.

55. A method of producing a crystalline In—Se film, comprising:

forming a slurry of In₂Se₃ nanoparticles;

spreading the slurry of In₂Se₃ nanoparticles on a substrate; and

heating the slurry of In₂Se₃ nanoparticles to evaporate carrier components of the slurry and to form the crystalline In—Se film.

56. The method of claims 55, including heating the slurry of In₂Se₃ nanoparticles to a temperature in a range of 300 to 650° C. to anneal the In₂Se₃ nanoparticles to produce the In—Se film.

57. The method of claims 55, including heating the slurry of In₂Se₃ nanoparticles to a temperature in a range of 300 to 400° C. to anneal the In₂Se₃ nanoparticles to produce crystalline InSe.

58. The method of claims 55, including heating the slurry of In₂Se₃ nanoparticles to a temperature in a range of 300 to 400° C. to anneal the In₂Se₃ nanoparticles to produce γ-In₂Se₃.

59. The method of claim 55, including producing the In₂Se₃ nanoparticles by reacting indium iodide with sodium selenide in methanol.

60. A method of forming a crystalline In—Se film, comprising:

reacting In₂Se₃, elemental Se, hydrazine, and ethylene diamine to form a liquid solution comprising In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x, where 0≦x≦2, y≧1, and z≧0;

depositing the liquid solution comprising the In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x on a substrate; and

heating the solution comprising the In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x on the substrate to vaporize the solvent and to decompose the In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x and vaporize the ligands and volatile products including Se and/or H₂Se so that the crystalline In—Se film forms on the substrate.

61. The method of claim 60, including heating the solution comprising the In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x on the substrate to a temperature in a range of 300 to 400° C. to vaporize the solvent and to decompose the In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x and vaporize the ligands and volatile products including Se and/or H₂Se so that crystalline In—Se film forms on the substrate.

62. The method of claim 60, including heating the solution comprising the In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x on the substrate to a temperature in a range of 400 to 650° C. to vaporize the solvent and to decompose the In₂Se₄(enH)_x(N₂H₅)_2-x(en)_y(N₂H₄)_x and vaporize the ligands and volatile products including Se and/or H₂Se so that crystalline γ-In₂Se₃ film forms on the substrate.